


Slow Down

by vomitingwords



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Barry Allen Has a Crush on Leonard Snart, Barry Allen Needs a Hug, Cisco Ramon & Caitlin Snow Friendship, Feelings, Foiled Confessions, Leonard Snart Has Feelings, Light Angst, M/M, Possibly Unrequited Love, Tags Are Hard, Unrequited Crush, coldflash - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:15:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22914604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vomitingwords/pseuds/vomitingwords
Summary: “Slow down is good advice for a superhero, not for two people really like each other“ORBarry decides to take his own advice and move forward with Captain Cold.
Relationships: Barry Allen/Leonard Snart
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This wasn't meant to be sad but i'm sad so it's probably gonna turn out sad.

When Barry got back to his earth, he couldn’t get what he had told Kara out of his head. Damn, he really did give good advice, except he rarely takes his own advice and maybe he should start.

Barry and Len had been stuck in this weird sort of flirting limbo, he was pretty sure Caitlin and Cisco had started to catch on to the fact that he had feelings for his so-called nemesis. They weren't exactly subtle with their flirting, if in fact, what Leonard was doing with him was flirting. Barry had always passed it off as classic villain/superhero banter anyway. He thought at least Cisco would appreciate that. Barry really did like Len though, even with all his smugness and bad puns. Maybe he should actually take his own advice for once, tell Len how he feels and move forward in their relationship. Of course, if Len didn't feel the same way it could end in disaster. Len freezing Barry for example, but Cisco and Caitlin had been adamant that Len liked Barry just as much as he did, both rolling their eyes when Barry says, yet again, that he doesn't like Len. He didn't know why he was denying it. He could tell himself that it was because his friends were overly noisy and he didn't want to deal with that but, truthfully, it was because Barry knew that once he accepted these feelings there was no going back. There was also no way he’d get to be with Len if he didn't say anything.

As he walked into the cortex the next morning, he stopped in the middle in front of both Cisco and Caitlin, clearing his throat. “So, let's say I may have some tiny feelings for Leonard. What would I do about them?” He shifted on his feet a little uncomfortably.

They both chuckled softly making Barry frown. “Dude, there's no “maybe” and there’s no “tiny” we all know you're in love with him.” Cisco swiveled in his chair, back to his desk.

Barry sputtered. “Love? I never said anything about love.”

Caitlin smiled, putting away some vials. “You didn't have too. We see the looks, hear the banter over the comms. Every time there's even the slightest chance that Captain Cold can help us with a case you jump at it.”

“Wha- that doesn't mean I love him!” Barry almost shouts, getting defensive.

“Just go see him man, tell him how you feel.” Cisco interjects.

“You guys won’t have a problem with it?” He raises his eyebrows questioningly.

“Well, it might be a little uncomfortable but, we can be civil, can’t we Cisco?” she poses it as more of a demand than a question and Cisco nods, what looks to Barry, a little reluctantly.  
“Okay well good, I’ll go talk to him then, tonight.”

Barry tried his hardest to keep his word, to himself and his friends. That he would go find Leonard that night to tell him how he felt and it’s not like he chickened out, because he didn't, he didn't chicken out. He merely decided that he should wait for a special moment. This admission of feelings from Barry deserved to have that, and so that does not mean he chickened out, it just means that he would have to wait.

It was three weeks later and Barry still hadn't talked to Leonard. Cisco and Caitlin were surprisingly supportive of Barry and by “supportive” he means they've been annoyed and overly nosey over the fact that he hadn't “confessed his feelings” yet. He had told them about his plan to wait, where Cisco had just rolled his eyes and Caitlin smiled, saying how sweet she thought it was.

“Dude you need to just go talk to him now because I can't watch you continue to be distracted by Captain Cold.” 

“You know you can call him Leonard or Len, don't you Cisco?”

“I will never do that Barry.” Cisco points to Barry for effect. “Because he’s a criminal and in case you forgot, he hurt my brother. I’m not going to be friends with him.”

“And yet, you are encouraging me to go after him?” Barry frowns again. 

“Yes, because we are friends and I want you to be happy. If Captain Cold will make you happy then I want you to be with him.”

Barry is surprised, not that Cisco would want him to be happy, they both want that for each other, but he is surprised that Cisco would put up with someone he hates so much just for Barry.

‘Wow, that's so nice Cisco, thank you.” Barry smiles genuinely.

“Well, there's nothing to thank me for if you don't actually take my advice.” He shrugs and Barry sighs knowing he was right. “You know where he is bro, go get your man.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hero's don't always win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sad.

Barry did know where Leonard was. He had come across it by accident once while he was out being The Flash. Not even fighting with Len. He had looked in the window as he skidded to a halt. There was the infamous Captain Cold, hunched over a table, clearly planning for his next heist. As Barry couldn't help but scan the rest of the room, he saw Len’s parka draped over the couch. He had to speed away after that because Len had looked up and almost right at him. Barry remembered where it was.

Barry had to take a few deep breaths to calm his nerves before knocking on the door. No answer. Barry knocked again. Maybe no one was home? Len would never be so careless as to leave the light on. Finally, after the third knock, the door slowly opened to reveal the barrel of Leonard’s cold gun.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don’t shoot! It’s me, Barry!” He stutters frantically. 

“What are you doing here? More importantly, how do you know where “Here” is?” Len’s voice was rough, like he had been sleeping, which would explain why he took so long to answer the door.

Barry sighs. “Don't go changing locations on me, I just came across it on Flash business.” He tried to stay calm as Len stood there looking him up and down. Slowly Len lowered the cold gun at least, but he didn't look very happy to see him. “You gonna let me in?” Barry smirked, teasing.

“Depends on what you want.” Len smirked back.

That was a surprisingly loaded question for Barry. He’s been asking himself what he wanted from Len for so long. He realized there was only one thing he could say that with some of exactly how we felt.

“I want you.” It was plain and simple, Barry was surprisingly confident when the words flew out of his mouth.

Len on the other hand looked uncharacteristically stand, like he hadn’t anticipated someone’s moves for once. 

“Me? Barry I think you need to come in so I can tell you exactly how much you shouldn’t want me. Or someone like me.” Len steps back from the door so Barry could step in. 

“I know you might not be good for me, or you think you’re not good for me but you would be wrong.” Barry said before Leonard could say anything else. 

“You and I both know I’m almost never wrong.”

“The key word there is ‘almost’”

Len sighs. "Are you always this self-righteous?"

"I'm not trying to be self righteous Len, I just...I want you to see what I see."

The truth was that Leonard would probably never see things the same as Barry did. 1They were exact opposites, he and Barry. They were never going to see eye to eye on anything and Len didn't want Barry to change him, he wasn't going to give up his thieving for Barry. That's exactly what he told him and when he did, Barry was absolutely taken aback. 

"Len I never said I wanted to change you." Barry frowned.

"You didn't say it but I know that it's what you want. I mean, what was all that ‘There's good in you' stuff?" Len already knew what that was, that was Barry trying to make him into a hero and that was never going to happen. 

"I thought that's what you wanted!" Barry was shouting now. "I thought you were tired of being a criminal, that you wanted to stop letting your past define you."

"My past made me who I am." Len retorts. "It made me stronger. You can't tell me that what happened to your parents didn't make you stronger."

Barry's breath caught in his throat. "Please don't bring them up when I'm trying to ask you out." He replied softly.

Leonard isn't one to show remorse, but the look on Barry's face, it was like he was punched in the gut. He knew that was the wrong thing to say. He sighed. "I'm just trying to make a point.”

"And what point is that? That I should be a criminal because all this bad stuff happened to me?" This was not turning out the way that Barry thought it would.

"Can't we just say I'm sorry and move on?"

Barry shrugged. "We could, but you haven't said you're sorry yet." Barry couldn't help the smirk that made its way onto Barry's face, despite everything. Their usual banter fell right back into place and neither of them could explain it.

"If I apologize will you drop this?" Len wasn't really going to apologize and Barry wasn't going to drop it.

"We make each other better, Len." It was barely above a whisper and Len almost missed it. "l don't want you to change, I just want you."

Leonard wouldn't admit that he wanted Barry just as much as Barry wanted him, there were too many unknowns. For example, what would Detective West say? What would his team of rouges say? Heroes and villains don't belong together. It's just how it had to be for them.

"Sorry Barry." Leonard said softly, not even meeting Barry's eyes anymore. " I think you should go." Len leads Barry back to the door, opening it for him. "I'll see you around Scarlet."

Barry watched the door close in his face and let his shoulders sink in defeat. Sometimes he forgets that the hero can't always win.

**Author's Note:**

> Everytime I try to add a link in here it never works so please follow my tumblr, I post more, take prompts and commissions as well. It's @itsabookishblog


End file.
